ws that will not bear
delay."

At this the soldier went, and Sigurd waited anxiously.

The knight soon returned.

"The king," said he, "will see you anon, after he shall have spoken to
four worthy citizens of Jockjen who have craved a secret audience."

So saying he left him and advanced to where the conspirators stood
expecting to be summoned.

Then Sigurd could contain himself no longer. With hurried strides,
pushing his way among the crowd, he followed and overtook the knight
before he could deliver his summons. Seizing him fiercely by the arm,
in a way which made the man of war start in amazement, he led him aside,
and said eagerly--

"Sir, I must see the king before those men." The knight, in anger at
being thus handled, cast him off roughly. But Sigurd would not be
daunted.

"Bring me to the king," he said, "or I will go to him without thy
leave."

The knight, amazed at being thus spoken to, looked round, and made as
though he would summon the guard; but Sigurd seeing it, and now grown
desperate, caught him by the neck, and putting his mouth to his ear,
whispered something, which done, he drew back, and for a moment lifted
the hood from his face.

The knight started in amazement, but quickly recovering his presence of
mind, stepped aside with Sigurd.

Then Sigurd, knowing the man to be loyal and trustworthy, hurriedly told
him all, and charged him to be secret, and see to his brother's safety.

The knight begged him to remain and see the king; but Sigurd, fearing
all delay, and feeling that his task at the castle was done, would not
stay, but departed forthwith.

Before he had well left the place the four conspirators were arrested,
and lodged in the deepest dungeon of the fortress. The guards,
especially such as stood near the person of the king, were enlarged, the
guests were quietly dispersed, and that night Ulf slept secure at
Niflheim, little dreaming of the peril he had escaped or of the brother
who had saved him.

Sigurd, meanwhile, light at heart, sped on the wings of the wind back to
Jockjen. People wondered at the wild haste of the monk as he passed.
But he looked neither right nor left till he stood once more at the
great gate of the castle.

The guard stood at the entrance as before.

"Thou art returned betimes, holy father," said he, "for our prisoner is
like to want thee for a last shrift presently."

Great was Sigurd's joy to learn that he was in time, and that the man he